Alexa Grasso sees UFC Vegas 62 as a ‘fight that had to happen’ (video)

Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo is a race to see which woman can get to a title shot first.

UFC Vegas 62 is another edition of the action-packed schedule of mixed martial arts brought to fans by the UFC. This showcase features a women’s flyweight main event between Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo. These two women will finally meet after the initial bout was scratched and Grasso is looking at the opportunity to stake her place as a top challenger to the 125-pound title.

“I think this is a fight that had to happen,” Grasso said during the media day interview. “We are both pretty similar. We are super close in the rankings. It had to happen, we are super close in every single area and it is a nice matchup for both of us. She’s the toughest opponent I’ve trained for.”

Grasso is riding a three-fight win streak, picking up one victory each year since 2020. Those wins came over Maycee Barber, Ji Yeon Kim, and most recently Joanne Wood back in March. This is a strong rebound since her last defeat which came at the hands of current strawweight champion, Carla Esparza in September 2019. A victory could push her into the title hunt sooner rather than later.

“There’s another important fight next weekend, and I feel like this is kind of like the semifinals,” Grasso said. “The champion is going to look at the one who does the best I hope.”

Viviane Araujo is also in a position to demand a title shot with a win

If Grasso is going to keep this win streak going, she will have to defeat Araujo, who is also coming off a recent win over Andrea Lee. Araujo has remained a tough threat in this division but has struggled to get over the top contenders, dropping fights to both Jessica Eye and Katlyn Chookagain.

UFC Vegas 62: Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo takes place on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.